Grant Books

This is a great book for anyone who contributes to charities. I don't think that all charities are bad, but you do have to think about where you contribute.

An interesting point brought up in this book is that any organization considered "charitable" is immune from careful scrutiny - questioning their activities is akin to an attack on the poor sick or needy themselves. So for congress or the public to investigate any kind of wrongdoing or excess is difficult.

The book also details how the big charities use guilt and emotion to get people to contribute money, how some such as the American Cancer Society try to suppress alternative research, and how much of the "profits" go to the execs who work there, as there is a lack of accountability at these types of organizations.

That being said, it reinforced my belief that charities such as Heifer International are the way to spend my charitable dollars since they focus much more on the underlying cause to a problem than on chasing a "cure". Give money to them and it will buy an animal for an impoverished family, who can then use it's milk for food as well as income, and give away it's offspring to other families in need. It's self-perpetuating and lasts virtually a lifetime.

On the other hand, give money to the American Cancer Society, and it will likely be spent on a needy executive to fly around the country and tell us that a cure is "just around the corner".

"Unhealthy Charities: Hazardous to Your Health and Wealth" is a damning indictment on America's most "prestigious" health charities. While these charities are quick to award themselves with glowing accolades, the authors document numerous examples of inefficiency, inappropriate and improper spending, suppressing or ignoring promising research into "unconventional" modes of disease treatment, and an incestuous, tightly-knit network of executives and researchers who direct funds towards research and projects that support the charities' own preconceived ideologies and goals.

The book focuses on the "Big Three" charities--the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. It describes how these and other health charities spend much time and money on things that have nothing to do with research and aid to disease victims--like crying poor and pleading for donations when they are in fact hoarding hundreds of millions in money, real estate, cars, stocks & bonds, paying their top staff 6-figure salaries, holding 'conferences' at luxurious hotels, exaggerating the benefits of their programs, exaggerating the amount spent on research and public education, enlisting government support to drive out smaller competing charities, using donations to fund further education for medical professionals even though they are amongst the highest income earners in the US and are more than capable of funding their own further eduction (as most other professions must do)--and on and on.

The only flaw is that the authors seriously seem to believe that all these flaws occur despite charities having the "best of intentions". The very real possibilty that these charities are just another arm of our corrupt, profit-obsessed, drug-centered sickness industry does not seem to occur to them.

Nonetheless, it still reveals much that health charities would prefer we did not know...

I used this book when travelling around Vermont last summer. Tons of information on sights to see, outdoor activities, lodging and restaurant. The maps were also very helpful in navigating through the state. I liked the fact that it broke the state up into six main areas so it was easy to find information when I needed it. My only complaint is that they didn't rate things on a star basis so I used this book in conjunction with the Frommer's guide. I recommend getting both because the Frommer's was a bit skimpy on information about things to do and see.

I just bought this book this week, and it is so packed full of great information. Restaurants, the history of the town(s), routes to take, inns to stay at, sports activies, farms to visit, hotels, special events and dates, shopping, etc... My ONLY complaint is that the pictures are all black and white, and there aren't very many of them. But then again, it never claims to be a photographic portrait of Vermont!
Love it. Five stars.

The authors clearly know their material and. perhaps, most importantly, know how to convey this information in a clear and forthright manner. Facts and statistics saturate the content of the text, and do so in the professional style one would hope for. Historical, with expert research always evident, this is a resource which ought to be on the desks of all of those professionals who are involved with the complex and often tedious demands surrounding actuarial assessments!

This is an excellent book about the development of actuarial tools to determine risk for Violence and Sex Offender Risk. The books content covers the history of research in this area over the last 25 years and methods and measurement. The Chapter on clinical judgement is excellent and sets the stage for the need of actuarial assessments to enhance our ability to determine risk. The appendicies contain the two risk tools developed by the authors: 1) Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG, and 2) Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG). I highly recommend this book!

This book is great because it gives the student perspective that you don't really get anywhere else. I'm glad I found something as unique as this. There is info about everything from Academics to Nightlife. If you're thinking about going to Virginia Tech, this is something you should really pick up.

This book on Virginia Tech is chock-full of information that potential students need (and want). It rates and describes everything on campus from facilities (gyms, bathrooms, dorms) to dining halls to all aspects of campus life. There are quotes from real Virginia Tech students who give their honest opinions on how hot the co-eds are, how interesting the teachers are, and how fun the town is. And these students aren't just rooting for their school they tell it all whether it's negative or positive. For high school students who are interested in Virginia Tech there isn't a better book than this one to give you an impression of what the university is like. And this book is even great for students who are new to Virginia Tech. This book contains info on where to get the best food, where to go for fun, how to succeed in class, and where to meet the cutest classmates. This book is even kind of good for parents because it has information on hotels (contact information and price ranges) and directions on how to get to Tech.
Reading this book is like sitting down and talking to a bunch of Tech students and hearing what their school is really like. This book tells you about the good and the bad, the boring and the fun, the weird and the interesting things at this school.
There is nothing in bookstores quite like this book. Most college guidebooks just give you facts and statistics, but this book really helps you visualize what life is like at Virginia Tech.

This book is simple to read and easy to implement. It is an alternative method to traditional medicine. Everyone should have it in their home. It shows in a step by step method how to heal headaches to shoulder pain to tooth aches and on and on. I have used the method(s) suggested in this book and it works. This is what the nursing profession would probably call the healing hands method.

After reading the book, I was amazed at how simple the author was able to relate such a seemingly complicated theory. After trying some of the techniques myself, I am thrilled to find healing at my fingertips.

The beautiful artwork portrays not only text of the book but encouraging heart to heart
communication of individual thoughts and the bonding of friendships.
The intrinsic dynamics are for all women/girls whatever their choice of activity.

Sue
Excellence in Physical Education Award
Florida Association of Physical Education and Dance Program Award

We Are Girls Who Love To Run is a bilingual English/Spanish children's picturebook, told in first-person perspective by young girls who enjoys running for health and for fun. "I am beautiful. When I smile, my eyes sparkle, and my spirit glows for the world to see. Freckles parade across my face. My arms and legs are graceful as I circle the track." Far more than a standard picturebook, We Are Girls Who Love To Run encourages finding joy in life through exercise, and impresses the value of self-confidence rather than allowing oneself to become obsessed with unrealistic Hollywood ideals of beauty. The colorful illustrations, done in a soft yet realistic style, show young women from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds experiencing a shared joy in running. A wonderful and uplifting story; the final page has an assortment of true-life quotes from women young and old who love to run.

This book lays out the simple truth--having any chemical imbalance that affects mood is no more "sinful" or shameful than having poor vision that requires glasses to correct. Helps us to get past the judgments we lay on each other--that if there were enough faith or a "real" conversion, then this kind of problem just would not be present.

Instead, in encouraging, scripturally-based writing, Dr Mullen brings correction and solutions to problems most believers want to deny are even present. Thank you, Dr Mullen!

The myths and misconceptions and guilt we had were corrected by this eye opening book. Thankfully, there is a source of information that taught us the reality of depression--that it isn't something you can just "get over"; it isn't just a "bad mood". But, also, that it isn't hopeless--there are answers out there. It is also comforting to know you are not the only family out there dealing with this. With more understanding from books such as this, there is hope that the embarrassment and stigma will disappear, and the healing will begin for many, many more.

This book is clear, concise and engaging. It doesn't skirt issues of race - it explores the obstacles Still faced in both the white and black communities. Highly recommended.

William Grant Still grew up the grandson of slaves in the segregated South: he knew he wanted to be a classical musician, but his mother wanted him to become a doctor and doubted his ability to achieve in the white-dominated classical music world. This biograhy for young readers tells of William's determination and of his many achievements, with a little over 100 pages including black and white photos throguhout.

I'd always thought my proposals were well written. But after reading Winning Strategies for Developing Grant Proposals, I got a much better understanding of what grant reviewers are really looking for.

I must say that I've had more success getting much-needed funds for our community projects. It's easy to read, and makes a lot of sense.

I'd always thought my proposals were pretty good. But after I read this book, and got the inside details on what grantors are really looking for, I had much better success in landing much-needed money for our projects.

It's really important these days to go the extra mile to get limited funds. And Winning Strategies for Developing Grant Proposals really made a difference.

First-person historical accounts can be a lot of fun for the frequent reader of history. Details that did not make their way into the books that summarize campaigns (or the entire war) pop up like Easter eggs. When you read a particularly outstanding account, like this one, there's also the pleasure in reading often-quoted descriptions in their original context.

This collection of a Union staff officer's letters to his wife is a primary source of detail about the Grant versus Lee period of the American Civil War (1864-5). The author, Theodore Lyman, was on Meade's staff for roughly the last 18 months of the war and his letters give us an insider's view from the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac.

A Civil War buff interested in this period of the war will find this book not only very interesting, but a fun read as well.

Lyman, a biologist, met Meade, an engineer, in Florida, where Lyman was collecting specimens and Meade was building a lighthouse. They remained friends and during the war, after one of Meade's promotions before Gettysburg, he offered Lyman a position on his staff. Lyman joined immediately before the Mine Run campaign. His letters comment on the period of the Army of the Potomac's impotency in the months after Gettysburg to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House. He writes about Grant's arrival, the Wilderness campaign, Petersburg and the Appomattox campaign.

Lyman, well educated and well traveled, makes many interesting observations and passing references that add color to the reader's knowledge of the period. I was under the impression that "doughboy" originated in WWI, but Lyman uses it in 1863: "There was a piercing cold wind, the roads were frozen, and ice was on the pools; but the night was beautiful, with a lovely moon, that rose over the pine trees, and really seemed to me to be laughing derisively at our poor doughboys."

Lyman's extensive travels with his wife before the war led to his making many interesting comparisons. For example: "Our people are very different from the Europeans in their care for the dead, and mark each grave with its name; even in the heat of battle."

Most enjoyable for me is Lyman's clever and often amusing phrases, such as this reference to Shakespeare's MacBeth: "...so I was up at 4:30 - rain pitchforks! Dark as a box - everything but `enter three witches.'"

Lyman's letters are sprinkled with mentions of secondary Civil War figures such as this of the man who later teamed with his father to build the Brooklyn Bridge: "Captain Roebling, from General Warren's staff, galloped up. He is the most immovable of men, but had, at that moment, rather a troubled air. He handed a scrap of paper. General Meade opened it and his face changed. `My God!' he said, `General Warren has half my army!' Roebling shrugged his shoulders."

Lyman's descriptions give a lot of color to the war. Here are two more examples of what you can expect from this book:

"The houses that have not actually burnt usually look almost worse than those that have: so dreary are they with their windows without sashes, and their open doors, and their walls half stripped of boards."

"Headed by General Webb, we gave three cheers, and three more for General Meade. Then he mounted and rode through the 2d and 6th Corps. Such a scene followed as I can never see again. The soldiers rushed, perfectly crazy, to the roadside, and there crowding in dense masses, shouted, screamed, yelled, threw up their hats and hopped madly up and down! The batteries were run out and began firing, the bands played the flags waved. The noise of the cheering was such that my ears rang. And there was General Meade galloping about and waving his cap with the best of them! Poor old Robert Lee!"

Lyman's letters have been a gold mine for historians. Someone well read in civil war histories will recognize at least a few some of his descriptions, such as this one of Grant: "He habitually wears an expression as if he had determined to drive his head through a brick wall, and was about to do it." His description of Custer is also memorable: "This officer is one of the funniest looking beings you ever saw, and looks like a circus rider gone mad! He wears a huzzar jacket and tight trousers, of faded black velvet trimmed with tarnished gold lace."

Its very difficult to find the perfect gift for the fanatic. After all, what could you get a fanatic that he doesn't already have? When I am buying a gift for a Civil War buff who has not yet discovered first-person accounts, this is my first choice. I am writing this review in the hopes that someone will give this book (sections of which I've reread many times) to that hard-to-buy-for Civil War buff on their gift list.

petervtamas@mail.com

This is an outstanding book that details the service of Grant and Meade towards the end of the Civil War. The story is told by the right hand man for both Grand and Meade. Lyman served both generals as their closest assistant. Much of the story comes from letters Lyman sent to his wife during the course of the war. The author's insight on both men is great. Several times in the book, he tells the "real" story of what happened at a certain point in the war that differs from what history says happened. It's like getting the inside scoop on what really happened.